Metal drawer structure



Nov; 27 1923. 1,475,797

I. CONRAD METAL DRAWER STRUCTURE Filed March 10 1920 Patented Nov. 27, 1923.

ISIAH CONRAD, F COLUMBUS, OHIO.

METAL DRAWER STRUCTURE.

Application filed March 10, 1920. Serial No. 364,640.

To (11/ NIIOIN/ it may concern.

Be it known that Ismn CONRAD, a citizen of the United States, residingat (polumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, has invented certaln new and useful .llllprovcments in Metal Drawer Structures;

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sheet metal furniture, and has particular reference to an article of furniture wherein is embodied a sheet metal drawer structure, the primary object of the invention being to provide a support capable of slidably receiving the drawer structure so as to retain the latter on a level and even plane irrespective of the extended or retracted positions the same may assume with respect to said support.

The invention accordingly consists in the provision of a sheet metal drawer which is adapted to be slidably mounted within any suitable article of furniture, and to provide the under portion of the drawer with a plurality of fixed guides, the latter operating in similarly formed supports fixed to the article of furniture, whereby said drawer will be slidably supported from its'under side or bottom, whereby the weight of the drawer may be equally distributed upon said supports so that the operation of the former may be accomplished with convenience and with a total absence of binding hitherto effected in prior structures, by the vertical tilting of the drawer with respect to its sup ports.

lVith these and other features in view, as will be apparent as the description proceeds, the invention accordingly consists in the combination of elements and arrangement of parts, hereinafter to be fully described and to have the scope thereof pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and in which similar characters of reference denote like and corresponding parts:

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken through an article of furniture and illustrating the drawer structure comprising the present invention applied thereto, and,

Figur 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view, the plane of which being disclosed by the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings. the numeral 1 designates any suitable article of furniture, which is preferably formed fromsheet metah and may be in the naturev of a desk, cabinet or in any other suitable form wherein sliding drawers are utilized. For purposes of description, the 00 member 1 may be said to consist of parallel sides 2, a back 3, an open front 4 and a to 5, all of which being suitably assembled: This arrangement is such that a chamber 6 is formed withinthe member 1 for the reception of one or more sliding drawers 7, the latter being capable of being opened or closed by projecting the same through the open front 4 of thearticle 1, in the usual manner. The drawers themselves are preferably formed from sheet metal, and embody bottoms 8, vertical sides 9 and front walls 10, the latter in plan are slightly larger than the transverse cross sectional area of the inner portions of the drawers, in order that the walls 10 may be brought into engagement with the sides 2 for the purpose, of limiting the inward movement thereof and also to enable the same to present an attractive and neat external appearance. Handles 11 may be connected with the wall 10 for the purpose of facilitating the opening and closing of the drawers.

At. this juncture it may be stated, in order to render more apparent the aims of the in- \ention, that metal drawers of this character have commonly been supported byproviding the, upper marginal edges of their sides 9 with longitudinally extending guide members. the latter being formed for engagement with cooperative supporting members rigidly carried by the parallel sides 2 of the article 1. By this mode of construction. the drawers have been hung or sus pended in their operative positions, however, the construction, I believe, is open to objection in that drawers so constructed when extended have a tendency to tilt vertically with the result that their free operation is impaired, undue movement there- 1 of afforded and other practical objections are present in their manufacture.

To obviate these objections and to provide a drawer capable of free and unrestricted movement and yet ca able of retain- 1 ing its adjusted positions, l provide the drawers 7 with a plurality of longitudinally extending guide members 12 and instead of mounting the same on the sides 9, as has been the general practice, I rigidly secure the same in parallel relationship with the drawer bottoms 8, as shown. These mem bers 12 are formed to provide inwardly bent flanges 13, which are arranged to be re,- ceived within grooves l'formed by the pro vision of outwardly bent flanges 15 provided upon fixed supporting members 16. The latter are rigidly connected in any suitable manner with the sides 2, but embody horizontal portions 17, which extend in parallelism with the bottoms 8 and with the guide members 12.

By virtue of this construction, it will be observed that the present invention provides a firm and positive support for a sheet metal drawer, which support will extend parallel with said drawers along the bottom of the latter. By providing the interfittii'ig guide flanges 13 and 15 upon the members 12 and 16 respectively, lateral movement of the drawers will be reduced to the minimum and also a flat horizontal bearing surface of extended area will be provided to effect true horizontal movement on the part of the drawers. The construction is obviously of a simple and durable character, may be readily assembled and will provide extended service. While the members 1.2 have been shown in pairs for each drawer, it will be apparent that the same may be formed of but one piece if desired, the construction shown, however, being preferable for material saving reasons.

claim 1. In an article of furniture, a sliding body, a relatively stationary wall disposed on each side of said body, a supporting structure for said body including a pair of angular metallic strips whose vertical portions are arranged to be rigidly secured to said walls, the horizontal ledges of said strips being located substantially right angles to the walls and in spaced relationship from the bottom of the sliding body, said ledges terminatin in outwardly err tending overlapped flanges which protrude over said ledges and are spaced from the latter to define longitudinally extending grooves, metallic strips having flat horirontal portions arranged to be rigidly secured to the under surface of the bottom of said body, and inoffset parallel relation with said horizontal edges, and said last named strips being disposed to rest upon said flanges and provided with inwardly turned guide portions arranged to be slidably received within the grooves of said wall strips. 5% 2. In an article of furniture, a sliding body, a relatively stationary wall disposed on each. side of said body, a-supportim: structure for said body comprising a pair of angular metallic strips arranged to be rigidly secured and to project from said walls, the horizontal ledges of said strips being iocated at substantially right angles to the Walls and spaced from said body, said ledges terminating in outwardly extending on lapped flanges which extend over said ledge;

and are spaced from the latter to deiino longitudinally extending grooves, metallic strips having flat horizontal portions so cured to said body and disposed in oilsci parallel alignment with said ledge portions, said last named stri s being disposed in n gagement with sai flanges and prov" l with inwardly turned guide portions ranged to be slidably received within he grooves of said wall stri s.

In testimony whereof afiix my si Illlill'it.

- ISIAH CON Al). 

